Time is often perceived to speed up when one is enjoying oneself, and slow down when contemplating something significant. According to research published in Nature Human Behaviour, this subjective experience of time can be influenced by the memorability of the images we encounter.
A team of researchers led by Martin Wiener, a cognitive neuroscientist at George Mason University, conducted experiments to explore how visual stimuli alter our perception of time. They presented participants with images of various scenes, ranging from empty rooms to crowded stadiums, for varying durations. After viewing each image, participants were asked to indicate whether the time spent looking at it felt short or long.
Their responses revealed that images depicting larger scenes, such as an empty warehouse, were perceived as occupying a longer duration. Conversely, images of cluttered spaces, such as a garage filled with objects, seemed to shorten the perceived time. This finding contradicted previous research suggesting that the perception of time expands with increasing size.
To investigate this further, the researchers conducted another experiment using images that differed in their memorability. Human memory tends to favor images focusing on people, actions, and central objects. Wiener’s team used a dataset of 60,000 images, each rated for its memorability. They found a strong correlation between image memorability and perceived time duration: more memorable images appeared to stretch time.
This effect also held true in a follow-up experiment conducted a day later, where participants exhibited better recall for the time-slowing images. To elucidate these results, the researchers employed a neural network to analyze image memorability at a pace comparable to human perception. Interestingly, the neural network processed memorable images more rapidly.
The researchers suggest that this effect observed in the artificial neural network may mirror what occurs in the human brain. If so, it could explain why time sometimes appears to slow down. The exact mechanism by which processing speed influences time perception remains unclear, but the researchers propose that the brain prioritizes information processing when encountering something important or memorable.
This new model suggests that the brain intentionally extends the perceived duration of time to facilitate more thorough processing before the body reacts. For instance, in a potentially dangerous encounter, this extended processing time could prove advantageous, allowing for more informed decision-making. Dr. Wiener emphasizes that this novel perspective positions time as a fundamental aspect of our interaction with the world, rather than merely a measure of duration.
While this theory remains a hypothesis, its compelling nature highlights the undeniable influence of memorability on our perception of time.
